Fuse for bombs and other missiles adapted to be dropped from aircraft



April 21, 1925.

O. D. LUCAS ET AL FUSE FOR BOMBS AND OTHER MISSILES ADAPTED TO BE DROPPED FROM AIRCRAFT Filed Jafi, 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l QMJ W April 21, 1925.

O. D. LUCAS ET AL FUSE FOR BOMBS AND OTHER MISSILES ADAPTED TO BE DROPPED FROM AIRCRAFT 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 2, 192 s \WH H Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

OWEN DA VID LUCAS AND FREDERICK GEOFFREY LEES JOHNSON, OF WESTMINSTER,

LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO VICKERS LIMITED, OF

LAND, A BRITISH COMPANY.

WESTMINSTER, ENG- FUSE FOR BOMBS AND OTHER MISSILES ADAPTED TO BE DROPFED FROM AIRCRAFT.

Application filed January 2, 1925. Serial No. 24.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, OWEN DAVID LUCAS and Fnnonmox GEOFFREY Lnns JonNsoN, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, and both residing at Vickers House, Broadway, Westminster, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Fuses for Bombs and Other Missiles Adapted to be Dropped from Aircraft, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fuses for use with bombs, depth charges and like missiles adapted to be dropped from aircraft, and more especially intended for marine operations, the fuse being of the kind which is arranged selectively so that should the missile strike the ground or some solid object it will be fired instantaneously while if it strikes the water it will be fired after a predetermined interval by the aid of time set mechanism.

According to this invention the instantaneous firing mechanism is automatically and positively locked against operation upon the functioning of the time set mechanism. By this arrangement risk of firing of the fuse at the surface of the water is avoided.

The timing ring is preferably used to operate the instantaneous fuse system, the end of the ring projecting at the nose of the fuse and striking either the water, which it enters smoothly, or the ground when the force of the blow drives the ring back and causes operation of the instantaneous strikeu The timing ring is set by means of a safetly cover which is automatically released after projecting the missile by air vanes which fall away with the cover and leave the fuse ready for operation. The time fuse is piston operated on the missile striking the water.

The complete fuse is unarmed until set ready for dropping. the arming being effected by a preliminary rotation of the cover and timing ring, prior to the rotation for delay setting.

In order that the said invention may he clearly understood and readily carried into eifect, the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the complete fuse.

Figure 2 shows the fuse in elevation; and

Figures 3 to 7 show various details separately.

A is the fuse body terminating in the usual screwed and tapped plug a securing it to the bomb or other missile. ing ring. 0 is the safety cover. D, D are the air vanes on the spindle d. E is the time fuse striker. F is the instantaneous striker.

The operation of the instantaneous system is effected by thetiming ring B (shown separately in Figures 3 and 4), which lies inside the fuse body A but projects at the nose of the fuse on removal of the safety cover C and meets the surface of the water or the ground, the endb of the timing ring being preferably chamfered so that it presents a narrow annular edge that enters the Water smoothly and without substantial shock. If the timing ring strikes the ground, however, the forceof the blow is sufficient to drive back the ring and shear the shearing wires 6 holding'up the instantaneous striker, the ring carrying the latter with it so that instantaneous detonation is effected. The timing ring B is rotatedfor setting the fuse (as further hereinafter described by a toothed ring 0 on the safety cover 3, which is dome shaped and split into two halves and engages at its edge 0 in an annular groove (1 in the locking end ring a of-the fuse body, and also engages the timing ring B by means of internal projections c entering into recesses in the timn ing ring near its outer end 6. A rod or' ratchet at the bomb release mechanism on the aircraft engaging the toothed ring 0 serves for rotation of the cover through the desired angle. The cover C is automatically released after a predetermined fall of the missile by meansof the screwed spindle d secured to the air vanes D and passing through a central boss 0 on the said cover 0, the spindle d screwing into the outer end of the striker E of the time system and having a conical part d which, when the spindle B is the timthe initial part of the fall of the missilethe cover with the vanes is free to drop away and leave the fuse ready for operation.

The time fuse striker E is operated by a cupped pressure plate or piston G behind which is a double diaphragm device H, preferably soldered in a liner 71; fitting inside the time ring B so as to provide a water-ti 'ht joint. The pressure plate or piston 1' is operated on the missile striking the water, the. diaphragm device H collapsing by the pressure of the water against the piston, and the strikerE fir'es the pellet j in the pellet carrier J, igniting the time fuse composition 7" which in turn, when the flame reaches an opening in the time ring,-

ignites a flash composition. The instan I taneous firing device carried by the timing ring is at the same time locked 1n 1noper-- ative position by a pair of spring controlled transverse bolts K driven outwardly by the time fuse striker E into recesses a in the fuse body, the bolts passing through the timing ring B so that the latter cannot then move back and so operate the instantaneous striker.

The complete fuse is normally unarmed until set ready for dropping, the cover C and ring B being employed to effect the arming of the fuse by a preliminary rotation through a predetermined angle from safe to armed posit-ion as indicated in Figure 2, m to m from which latter position the actual timing operation starts. A rotation of 45, for example, may be employed for arming the fuse and a further rotation of 90 or 180 provided for a delay from zero to any desired limit.

The arming of the fuse is effected, in the construction preferred, by the pellet member J carrying the detonator-pellet for the time system and thestriker F for the in stantaneous system and normally held out of centre against a spring j by a cam surface 6 (see Figure 3) on the inner vertical face of the timing ring B, acting through a short rod j passing through the time ring or member B carrying the time fuse composition j and the movable member J. The time ring or member B (including the upper ring 72 is held from turning in the fuse body by the shearing pins or wires 7) and therefore does not turn with the ring B but is driven back by it on impact with the ground or with any solid body. The ring if is shown separately in Figures 5 and 6 which indicate position and length of the upper fuse composition j. A port hole 7)" (Figure 3) in the ring B effects communication between the upper and lower strips of composition on ignition, the position of the port hole determining the delay period of firing of the bomb according to the usual practice. On rotation of the ring B through the preliminary arming angle (a: to m Fig ure 2) the cam 72 is displaced to allow the rod to move back and the member J to move into central position in which thetime system and instantaneous strikers E and F are directly above their respective pellets j and f, the latter lying in the base of the body A.

The whole of the time system is held in the body A of the fuse by the flanged looking ring a screwed on the body and having a packing ring 1 making a water-tight joint. Both systems are held in the safety position by the screwed rod or spindle d and a safety pin L which prevents the rotation of the spindle until it is removed on placing the missile in the rack ready for drop-ping. Neither system can therefore be displaced prior to arming, even if the shearing wires or pins 6 of the. instantaneous system be broken or omitted. The whole of the interior of the fuse is Water-tight and, apart from the time setting safety cover C, npl moving parts are exposed to the atmosp ere.

When the pellet member J is in inoperative position as shown in Figure 1, that is, in the position in which the pellet j and the striker F are out of centre, if the striker E should accidentally move forward it will simply extendinto the recess j of the pellet carrier and similarly should the striker F move it will be received by the recess a in the base of the body A. When the member J is moved over to the left to bring the pellet j and the striker F central either the striker l strikes the pellet when the time ring B is moved forward by water pressure on the missile entering the water and so starts the time fuse, (a passage in the ring B leading the flash to the end j" of the fuse compartment j"), or the striker F strikes the cap f and fires the explosive charge immediately on the missile striking the ground.

WVhat we claim and desire to secure "by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a fuse for an explosive missile for aircraft, adapted to operate selectively according to whether the missile strikes a solid body or the surface of water, instantaneous firing mechanism and time set firing mechanism, means for firing alternatively through one or other of the said mechanisms, and means for positively locking the instantaneous firing mechanism against operation upon the functioning of the time set mechanism.

2. In a fuse as in claim 1, a timing ring associated with the time set firing mechanism, which ring is also adapted to operate the instantaneous firing mechanism on the missile striking a solid body.

3. In a fuse as in claim 1, a timing ring associated with the time set firing mechanism, which ring is formed so as to project at the nose of the fuse as the missile falls and to enter'water without shock and means by which the said timing ring is adapted to operate the instantaneous firing mechanism on the missile striking a solid body which causes the said timing ring to be driven back.

1. In a fuse as in claim 1, a safety cover for the nose of the fuse, a connection between the cover and a timing member of the time set firing mechanism and means by which the said safety cover is automatically detached during the fall of the missile.

5. In a fuse as in claim 1, a split rotatable safety cover for the nose of the fuse, a connection between the said cover and a timing member of the time set firing mechanism, a screw member holding the safety cover in place, and air operated vanes adapted to detach the said cover from the fuse by operating the said screw during the fall of the missile.

G. In a fuse for an explosive missile for aircraft, adapted to operate selectively according to Whether the missile strikes a solid body or the surface of water, instantaneous firing mechanism and time set firing mechanism, means for firing alternatively through one or other of the said mechanisms and fluid pressure operated means for positively locking the instantaneous firing mechanism against operation upon the functioning of the time set mechanism.

7. In a fuse for an explosive missile for aircraft, adapted to operate selectively according to whether the missile strikes a solid body or the surface of water, instantaneous firing mechanism and time set firing mechanism, means for firing alternatively through one or other of the said mechanisms, a timing ring for the time set firing mechanism, a fluid pressure operated piston within the said timing ring and a striker for the time set firing mechanism associated with the said piston.

8. In a fuse as in claim 1, a timing ring for the time set firing mechanism, a fluid pressure actuated member for the time set firing mechanism and a bolt adapted to be operated by the said fluid pressure actuated member to lock the said timing ring in position in the fuse.

9. In a fuse as in claim 1, a member common to both the instantaneous and time set firing mechanisms, means for retaining the said member in a position to prevent operation of either firing mechanism and means by which the said member is brought into armed position on setting the fuse.

10. In a fuse as in claim 1, a member common to both the instantaneous and time set firing mechanisms, which member carries the firing'pin of the instantaneous firing mechanism and the pellet of the time set mechanism, means by which the said member is held to one side to maintain the fuse in unarmed condition, and means by which the member is brought into armed position for both firing mechanisms on setting the fuse;

11. In a fuse as in claim 1, a setting member for the time set firing mechanism, means by which the said firing mechanism is armed ready for functioning upon a preliminary movement of the setting member and means by which the timing is effected by a further movement of the said setting member.

12. In a fuse as in claim 1, a timing ring for the time set firing mechanism, means by which the instantaneous fuse mechanism is normally held out of operative position and a cam surface on the said timing ring which on turning the ring provides for the movement of the retaining device of the instantaneous fuse mechanism into arming position.

13. In a fuse as in claim 1, a timing ring for the time set firing mechanism, means by which the timing ring operates the instantaneous firing mechanism on impact and a safety pin by which the timing ring with its associated mechanism is locked rigidly in the fuse body.

OWEN DAVlD LUCAS. FREDERICK GEOFFREY LEES JOHNSON. 

